Hot-water circulating system



(No Model.) J. C. NORTON. HOT WATER UIROULATING SYSTEM.

No. 500,268. Patented June 27, 1893.

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JOSEPH O. NORTON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOT-WATER CIRCULATING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,268, dated June 27,1893.

Application filed September 9,1892- Serial No. 445,395. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosnPH O. NORTON, of Lynn, county of ESS6X,.S'ELE6of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Hot- Water CirculatingSystems, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on thedrawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to hot water .circulatin g systems.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a system orsystems as will permit the use of a single heater, both to heat thewater in a house-heating system and also the water in an independentdistributing system.

In carrying out this invention I employ two boilers, one of which isconnected in circuit with a house-heating system and the other incircuit with a distributing system, a suitable heater being providedwhich is connected with one or the other of said boilers direct, theother boiler being heated by radiation therefrom. Suitable connectionsand valves are provided by which the heater may be thrown into directcommunication with either boiler or system desired. The said heater maybe of any desired kind or type, though I prefer to employ one containingtwo or more thin reservoirs or tanks through which the water is passedin a thin film or sheet to be heated, it being more readily heated whenin film form than when in a body form.

Figure 1, of the drawings represents in diagram a circulatory systemembodying this invention; Fig. 2, an end view of the heater shown inFig. 1; and Fig. 3, aheater of slightly modified construction.

In the system chosen to illustrate this invention, A and B represent twoconcentriccylindrical boilers, constructed in suitable manner, one ofthe boilers-A, having connected with its upper end a circulating ordistributing pipe a, provided with faucets or other valves ordistributing devices a. A

supply pipe at leading from any suitable supply enters the boiler A nearits bottom, as shown, to supply water to the distributing system. A pipe19 leading from the upperend of the inner boiler B, has branches leadingto one or more radiators b of suitable kind or construction and locatedat desired points, the return pipes b from the radiators being connectedwith a common return 19 which leads to the heater.

Any heater may be employed to raise the temperature of the water in thecirculatory system, but I prefer to employ a heater embodying theprinciple of operation illustrated in the drawings, wherein c, c, c, 0',Figs. 1 and 2, are inwardly inclined thin reservoirs, preferablyrectangular in shape and in which the water is carried in a thin sheetor film so that it may be quickly heated. These reservoirs are arrangedin pairs, one pair above another, as shown, and the return pipe b of theheating system is connected by branches b with each of the reservoirs ofthe lower pair 0, c, at one end. The said reservoirs at their endsopposite the inlet pipes b are connected respectively with the rear endsof the upper pair of reservoirs c, c, by pipes c ,c

as shown, the upper front ends of said reservoirs 0, being connected bybranches b with the return pipe I) leading to the bottom of the'innerboiler B. r

D, D, represent fuel supply pipes either oil or gas, perforated alongtheir upper sides, as shown in Fig. 1, said pipes serving as one meansof supplying fuel for combustion to heat the reservoirs and the watertherein, but I desire it to be understood that the said reservoirs maybe heated in any other manner desired and may even be placed in afurnace or ordinary range. The products of combustion from the flamesare diverted inwardly by the converging sides of the reservoirs c, andpass upwardlybetween the same into the space between the upperreservoirs c to heat the latter.

The operation of the system is as follows, viz:-The flames from the fuelact to heat the water in the two pairs of reservoirs c, c, and therebycause a circulation of hot water to be established from the heatingreservoirs upwardly through the branches (9 pipe I), to the boiler B,thence to the radiators through the pipes 19 returning to the heateragain through the pipe b This system constitutes a heating system andmay be utilized for heating purposes. The water for the distributingsystem derives its heat by the radiation of heat from the boiler- B, asingle heater sufficing for both. In cold weather both the heating andthe distributing systems are required, but in warm weather only thedistributing system may be necessary. I have, therefore, connected thepipes b and a, bya short connecting pipe e fitted with a valve 6', thepipe I) having a valve e between the connection e and the boiler; I havealso connected the pipe at with the pipe U by a pipe 6 provided withvalves 6 and e, the pipes a and b being also fitted with valves e, e, asshown. In the usual operation of the system, the

valves e 64X and 6' only are closed, the circulation being then as'hereinbefore described, but by opening the valves e, e and a, andclosing the valves e e, the boiler B and its heating system andradiators are cut out entirely, and the water entering through the pipe0. is caused to flow through the branch 6 pipe b through the heater andthen through pipe [2 and branch e to the boiler A, and thence to thedistributing system. The distributing system thus derives its heatdireetly from the heater and not from the boiler B as before.

I have shown a pipe at leading from the pipe a, to and joining the pipea between the valves 6 and e so that when the. heater is turned into thedistributing system as described, a constant circulation is establishedfrom the heater through the pipes 11 ,5, 2, a boiler A, pipes a, a 6 andb to the heater again.

This invention is not limited to the particular heater shown; and in aheater employing the thin reservoirs,the same need not necessarily be ofthe shape shown nor arranged in the manner shown. For example, in Fig.3, the pairs of reservoirs are staggered to thereby secure the greatestheating eifect with a given fuel supply, and the reservoirs may beotherwise grouped in batteries as desired, to secure the best results.

In the present illustration of my invention, I have shown heating anddistributing systerns as connected with the two boilers, but thecirculatory systems may be employed for other purposes if desired.

I claim 1. A hot water circulating system,containing two hot waterboilers, and a heater for one of the boilers only; a pipe-distributingsystem connected with and supplied from one of the boilers, ahouse-heating system connected with and supplied from the other of saidboilers, and connecting pipes, and valves therein, whereby either of thesaid boilers with its connected circulating system maybe thrown intoconnection with and heated directly from or by the said heater, theother boiler with its system being heated by radiation from the boilerderiving its heat directly from the heater, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a circulatory system, of a heater thereforprovided with two vertically arranged pair of independent thinreservoirs, the reservoirs of each pair being inclined upwardly andinwardly toward each other, but separated to leave an opening betweenthem for the passage of products of combustion, connections between thetops of the lowest pair of reservoirs and the bottoms of the upper pairof reservoirs, whereby water entering the bottom of the lowestreservoirs has a continuous upward flow to and leaving the tops of theupper reservoirs, passing through said reservoirs in thin sheets orfilms, and heating devices arranged between the inclined inner sides ofthe reservoirs of the lower pair, the heat therefrom ascending betweenthe reservoirs of both pair in succession, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a circulatory system, of a heater thereforprovided with two vertically arranged pair of independent thinreservoirs, the reservoirs of each pair being inclined upwardly andinwardly toward each other, but separated to leave an opening betweenthem for the passage of products of combustion, connections between thetops of the lowest pair of reservoirs and the bottoms of the upper pairof reservoirs, whereby waterentering the bottom of the lowest reservoirshas a continuous upward flow to and leaving the tops of the upperreservoirs, passing through said reservoirs in thin sheets or films, andfuel supply pipes arranged between the inclined inner sides ofthereservoirs of the lower pair and provided with perforations arrangedalong the said reservoirs, whereby the products of combustion from thefuel issuing through said perforations comesin contact with the inclinedinner sides of the reservoirs of the lower pair, rising therefrom to,and in contact with the inner inclined sides of the reservoirs of theupper pair, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH O. NORTON.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK L. EMERY, EMMA J. BENNETT.

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